Machine for withdrawing from a pile, and opening collapsed folding boxes



Feb. 21, 1939. H. SCHWINGER MACHINE FOR WITHDRAWING FROM A FILE, ANDOPENING COLLAPSE-D FOLDING BOXES Filed March 24, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l k w a. w .r m n m. w w v n v c H 1 s A K K m J m E v. 6 m m r M F L 1 u I. 1 m A q n u It-. u x Sm.

Feb. 21, 1939. H, SCHWINGER 2,147,994 MACHINE FOR WITHDRAWING FROM A FILE. AND OPENING COLLAPSED FOLDING BOXES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1938 Fig.2

Invenfor:

y g m f 0 A K m Feb. 21, 1939. H SCHWINGER 2,147,994

MACHINE FOR WITHDRAWING FROM A FILE, AND OPENING COLLAPSED FOLDING BOXE S Filed March 24, 1938 '5 Sheets She et 5 v M781 10' 1 g 5 b i 1 1w id I I g 30 .l F lc, I

rlm'enfor:

HEM/#167! WM/m A hormsy Feb zl; 1939. HSCHMNGER 2,147,994

MACHINE FOR WITHDRAWING FROM A PILE, AND OPENING COLLARSED FOLDING BOXES Filed March 24, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 :1;IIIII/III"'" I fig. 6

Affor-nay Feb. 2

MACHINE FOR WITHDRAWING FROM A FILE AND OPENING COLL H. S CHWINGER 2,147,994

APSED FOLDING BOXES Filed March 24, 15 938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Afforney Patented Feb. 21, 1939 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR WITHDRAWIN G FROM A PILE,

AND OPENING COLLAPSED BOXES FOLDING Heinrich Schwinger, Fellbach, qermany, assignor to the firm Fr. Hesser, Maschinenfabrik-Aktiengesellschaft, many Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Ger- Application March 24, 1938, Serial No. 197,905 In Germany December 28, 1936 10 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for opening collapsed folding boxes or cartons which are stacked in a pile and shall be used for packaging. The invention relates more particularly to machines having a blade by means of which the foremost collapsed box is withdrawn from the pile, guided past a device for opening the collapsed box, and. fed to a conveyer device. For instance, said conveyer device serves to feed the m opened boxes to means for closing the bottom side of the box, for filling the box, and for closing the filled box.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved machine having a continuously driven m convey'er device so as to allow a considerable increase in the feeding speed of the conveyer device, and, consequently in the working speed of the devices co-operating with the conveyer device, such as, for instance the devices for formgp ing the bottom of the box and for filling and closing the same.

Other objects of my invention will be seen from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, a machine embodying my invention is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine, the table of the machine being partly broken away,

Fig. 2 is,-in a larger scale, an elevation of a part of the machine, generally on the line VI- illiin Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows, parts being omitted,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a part of the ma- 35 chine, viewed in the direction of the arrow VII in Fig. 1,

Fig. it is a detail on a larger scale, showing a handle for interrupting the feed of the collapsed boxes or blanks,

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the drive of the driven conveyer pulley, viewed in the direction of thearrow IX in Fig. 1,

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are elevations of three cams forming part of the control,

Figs. 9, l0, l1 and 12 are diagrammatic plan views illustrating the operation of the blade,

Fig. 13 is an end elevation of a collapsed box, as contained in the magazine shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12, on a larger scale,

. Fig. 14 is a. plan view of the box shown in Fig. 13, on a smaller scale than in Fig. 13, and

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the opened box.

Similar reference numerals, denote similar parts in the different views.

till

lid

fill

from the left to the right in Fig. 1. Referring now to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 5, 6! is the table of the machine which is shown partly broken away in Fig. 1. 206' is a U-shaped bracket secured on the table bl. The bracket 206 supports in a suitable bearing the vertical shaft 2B6 of thedriving conveyer pulley 205. A similar bracket, not shown, is provided and secured on the table ti for supporting the vertical shaft 202 of the idle conveyer pulley 2M. 48 is the main shaft of the machine which is mounted in suitable bearings in the vertical pedestals of the said brackets, as shown for the bracket 2% in Fig. 5. Continuous rotation is imparted to the main shaft til from the driving shaft ill of the machine through the medium of a Worm 2i ll on the driving shaft ill, and a worm wheel its on the main shaft ill. The driving shaft Elli is .rotated from any suitable and known source of power, not shown, by means of the pulley till secured to the shaft til. lEto tation is imparted to the vertical shaft tilt: of the a driving pulley 295 by means of a bevel gear ilt ll pulley tllii rotates clockwise.

The conveyer it is a belt of any suitable me.-

Ill)

terial, such as steel, on which are secured drivers l5 spaced to form suitable receptacles or pockets for the reception of the opened boxes 5 between their end walls it. The drivers iii have inwardly directed spurs iii which are adapted. to engage feeding the pile of blanks under action of pres-' sure exerted by the feed plate id. For this pubpose, the feed plate id is acted upon in a forward direction by any suitable means, as for example weights, ropes and pulleys, such means being known per se for this purpose and described, for instance, in the prior Patent No. 1,848,?07. By way of example, two-magazines havebeen shown in Figs. 2 and 3 side by side, and obviously any desired number of magazines can be ar-- ranged, as desired or required for a given output. The conveyer belt it moves past the magazines The two magazines are quite similar,, and so only one of till till) them will be described, the parts relating to the other magazine being distinguished by the appendix a to the corresponding reference numerals.

There is provided a blade 5 (or So) for each magazine. Each blade, as best seen in Fig. 2, comprises a pair of parallel parts with a space between them, so that they have the shape of a fork, the upper ends of the blades being adjustably secured to holders 39 and a, respectively. Their lower ends 26 and 21 are pointed for cooperating in the well known manner and for the known purpose with triangular notches 28 and 29 provided in the upper ends of the collapsed boxes I. Secured to one side of each blade is an angular member I20 which supports a short rack H25 with downwardly directed teeth.

Item Hi0, Fig. 3, is a movable bottom plate near the outlet end of the magazine. The bottom plate is secured to the free end of an arm I92 fixed on a transverse shaft 5 94 which is rotatably supported in suitable bearings, not shown, of the machine framing. I30 is a stationary horizontal downholder bar arranged above, and in front of, the magazine, intermediate the two parts of the forked blade 5. The bar i30 is adjustably secured to a suitable post 390 of the machine framing.

The lateral bars 2a of each magazine have forward extensions 3b, each with a hook. l at its outer end, as best seen in Figs. 9 to l2. Mounted in suitable bearings B at the outer side of the extensions 21) is a vertical shaft 9 with a pair of fingers l9 projecting toward the outer endof the magazine, one below the extension 2b of the upper bar 2a, and the other above the extension 2b of the lower bar 2a. 3 is a spring catch at the inner end of each extension 2?). A vertical angle bar I2 is secured to the inner side of the lateral bars 2. The inner flange of the angular bar it presents an oblique surface 6 and is flattened at its inner end at 4, a little to the rear of the catch 3, in the direction in which the collapsed boxes are fed, and its outer flange presents an oblique surface l3. The angular bar I2 is notched at I in the immediate vicinity of its crest.

The controls of the machine will now be described. 1

56 and 56a are a pair of horizontal slide bars which extend in parallel relation to each other and to the direction in which the collapsed boxes are conveyed, along the outer sides of the two magazines, and are supported by the upper ends of vertical rods 58 and 58a, respectively, whose lower ends are suitably inserted and fixed in sleeves 59 and 59a, respectively, the sleeve 59 forming part of a bracket 60 at the left, and the sleeve 59a forming part of a bracket 69a at the right, as viewed in Fig. 2. The said brackets are secured to one side of the table 6!. Mounted to slide on the horizontal bars 56 and 56a are a cross head 55 with a vertical sleeve 33, and a cross head 55a with a vertical sleeve 33a. Rods 32 and 32a are mounted to slide vertically in the respective sleeves, and the upper ends of the rods are connected by the cross bar 3| on which are secured the holders 39 and 30a of the blades 5 and 5a.

The sliding rods 32 and 32a are under the control of a blade-reciprocating cam 41', with a cam groove 41, and the cross heads 55 and 55a are under the control ofa cross-head reciprocating cam 85, with a cam groove 85. The two cams are keyed on the main shaft 48.

' An arm'li, Figs. 2 and 3, is mounted for free oscillation on one end of a transverse shaft 92 which is mounted in a pair of bearings 49, 44 on the table 6!. The free end of the arm 45 is equipped with a roller 46 engaging in the cam groove 41' of the blade-control cam M. An arm 4| is integral with the arm 45 and pivotally connected at M] to a link 39. This link is pivoted at 38 to the eyes 36, 3? of a fork 35 forming part of a sleeve 34 which is secured to the sliding rod 32. The arm M is connected to an arm lla by means of a cross'stay 59. This arm Ha is similar to the arm M and mounted for free oscillation on the opposite end of the shaft 42. The free end of the arm Ma is connected to the other sliding rod 32a by means similar to those described for the arm M and rod 92, and distinguished by the appendix a.

tem i2 is a transverse shaft mounted in bearings at the ends of the brackets I30 and 60a. 68 is an arm mounted to oscillate about one end of the shaft 72. At its free end, the arm has a slotted. eye Bl engaging a quadrant block 96. This quadrant block is rotatably mounted on a pin which projects through a slot ill in the slide bar 56 and is secured in a rear extension of the cross head 55. A flange 69 on the pin 95 slides in the slot Fill, and a washer ll, Fig. 2, is inserted between the block and the flange. A similar mechanismwhose parts are distinguished by the appendix a, is provided for the other cross head this. The two arms ti; and 68a on the opposite ends of the shaft l2 are connected by a transverse stay H on which are suitably fulorumed eyes llila at the outer end of a frame, of cast steel or other suitable material, with a pair of side bars l6 and ll, of channel section, which converge toward the table lit and are braced by stays l3 and 19, also of channel section. The inner end of the frame is fulcrulned on a rod 92 with a pair of eyes 89, and this rod is supported by the free ends of a bellcra'nk 83, 83a, and of an arm 86, which are mounted to oscillate on the shaft 42 between the bearings 43 and 44. The arm 83a of the bellcrank has a roller 84 at its free end which engages in the cam groove 85' of the cross-head control cam 85.

The finger shafts 9 at the sides of the magazines are operated by the finger-control cam 95 which is keyed on the main shaft 48 and has an elevation 9511, Fig. 8. An arm 99 is keyed on the lower end of that finger shaft 9 which is at the side of the left magazine, as viewed in Fig. 2, and this arm is connected, by a link 9|, to a rocking arm 92, Fig. 3, which is fulcrumed on the table GI at 93 in a bracket I93. A spring, not shown, holds a roller 94 on the rocking arm 92 against the finger control cam 95. A link 96, Fig. l, connects the arm 99 to an arm 91 on the other finger shaft 9.

The single steps of the operation of the mechanism so far described will now be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12 as follows:

A pile of collapsed boxes or cartons l is placed in the magazine, with the foremost collapsed box bearing against the spring catch 3 (Fig. 9) at one side, and against the offset inner end 4 of the angular piece or bar l2 at the opposite side.

The shape of the collapsed boxes is best seen from Figs. 13 and 14. Each box consists of a flat sleeve of card board or the like, comprising side together by an adhesive.

In Fig. 9, a box S which-has been opened, is

ready for ejecting but is, for the present, retained the position illustrated in Fig. 12. On the way of forces, is now in the position formerly occupied by the 'boxSin Fig. 9, and is held in an intermedi- During the further advance of the blade 5 from the position shown in Fig. 10 to the position shown in Fig. 11,- the blade 5 shifts the box S in between the end faces 20 of two drivers I5 which feed it to the right, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 9. At the same time, the subsequent box S has had its sidewalls Ia and II) fully erected by the cooperation of the blade with the crest of the angle bar In 'the position shown in Fig. 12, the blade 5 has'arrived at the end of its horizontal forward movement. The box S which has reassumed a parallelogram shape under action'of its elastic ate position between the hooks l and the notch Ill. The blade is' now retracted in upward direction and returned toward the left in Fig. 2 into its initial position, ready for entering the foremost collapsed box of the pile.

It will thus appear that for withdrawing from the pile, and opening, the foremost collapsed box I, the blade 5 is introduced into the foremost box, separating the side walls id and I0 of the box from each other, whereupon the blade is continuously advanced into its final forward position, Fig. 12, past the intermediate positions, Figs. 10 and 11, and entrains the box which is being opened. On

this way, the left edge of the withdrawn box S moves along, and is guided by, the extensions 2b while its right edge slides along the oblique surface 6 of the angle bar I2, as shown in Fig. 10 so that the walls of the box are erected, that is to say, the box is spread open. Immediately after the box has been opened, it is engaged by what may be termed the intermediate holding means, before thebox is delivered to the conveyer It. This intermediate holding means includes the hooks {I at the front ends of the bar extensions 21) on the one hand, which hooks are in close vicinity to the outer ends of the drivers I5, and the notch- It, on the other hand, which-is in line with the upper right hand edge of the fully erected box. This edge enters the notch I4 immediately after the blade 5 has moved the flap Ia. past the crest of the angular member I2, under the resilient reaction of the box against-deformation, while the quent box S, presses against the rearward wall of the opened box S deposited in the intermediate holding means I, I4, the fingers II] are operated and shift the forward left-hand edge of the box away from the hooks 1, whereby a rectangular configuration is imparted to the box S, Fig. 10, and the. box S is shifted further by the continuous movement of the blade 5, Fig. 11, its right rearward edge leaving the notch I4. The box is now free, and its forward edge, at the forward end of the left flap ID, is moved towards the advancing front 20 of the trailing driver I5 which is in the appropriate position.

The right upper edge at the side wall Ia bears against, and slides along, the oblique surface I3 of the angle bar I2 which extends from the notch I4 almost as far as the path of the drivers I5. The box S is fully inserted in the pocket between the two drivers by the shifting action of the blade 5 against its rearward'wall Ic while the trailing driver I5, by its front face 20, shifts the box along the surface I3 with its rearward right edge so that when the blade has completed its horizontal forward stroke, Fig; 12, the opened box S is in proper position between two drivers I5 in a pocket of the conveyor. By suitable means which are old in the art (cf. for example U. S. Patents 1,622,709,l,779,817 and 1,832,262) and, therefore, have not been illustrated, the bottom flaps. If, I)" of the box (Fig. 15) are now closed and the box is filled and finally conveyed to a device by which the head flaps Ie, Ie of the box are folded over and closed.

While in machines of this kind; as designed heretofore, the elastic reaction of the boxes was considered :a, drawback, andspeeial means had to be providedforeliminatingit, .iiithe machine according to my invention, on the contrary, this. reaction is utilized for effecting a r'apid and reliable "transfer; of the boxes from the pile to the conveyer I6 on a short way by the inherent elasticity of the advancing boxes.

The above mentioned racks I25 and I25a at the sides of the blades ii and 5a exert friction against the upper edges of the underneath lying boxes I of the pile when the blades perform their forward stroke, tending to move the said boxes in forward direction towards the catches 3 and 3a, and the recessed inner ends i and 4a of the angle bars I2 and I2a. This frictional action is advantageous since the piled flat boxes tend to become deflected toward the rear and to assume an inclined position in the pile which might interfere with the proper entering of the blade into the collapsed boxes.- Thus, by means of the racks I25 and HM exerting frictional and shifting action against the upper edges of the piled collapsed boxes, a regular and reliable withdrawal of the boxes by the blades is secured.

The horizontal downholder bars I30.and I3Em retain the opened boxes in the intermediate holding means I, I4, shown in Fig. 12, when the blades 5, 5a ascend, so that the boxes will not adhere to the ascending blades.

If there is trouble of any kind with the means for filling the boxes, or for folding over the head flaps of the boxes, to which the opened boxes S are conveyed by the conveyer I 6, the further supply of boxes from the piles may be readily and simply interrupted. This is effected by means of the movable bottom plates I00, IIlIla, already referred to. An arm I05, Fig. 3, which is rotatably supported on the shaft I04, is pivotally connected to the forked lower end of a vertical slide rod I06 by a pin "1511.

The upper end of .the slide rod "i6 is guided in a sleeve I 01 attached to the lower side of a horizontal bar I I4 which is suitably secured to the machine framing, and pivotally connected at I09 to a handle I08 having a cam H0 and a pair of projections Ill and H2. H5 is another arm keyed on the said shaft I04, H6 is a spring attached to the free end of the arm H5 at one end and suitably anchored on the table (H at the other end, and II! is a sleeve which is adjustably mounted on the arm II 5 and supports a roller II8 for cooperation with a cam II9 on the main shaft 68. The spring H6 tends to pull down the slide rod I00 and to force the roller H8 against the circumference of the cam IIS but is prevented from doing so by the handle I08 which is normally in the position illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the said projection II2 bears against one side of the bar H4. In this position, the roller H8 is clear of the cam l I9. The handle is held in its position according to Fig. 4 by friction or suitable locking means (not shown).

When it is desired to interrupt the feed of boxes, without stopping the drive of the machine, the handle I08 is turned to the left in Fig. 4 until the projection III bears against the adjacent side of the bar H4. The spring IIG now pulls down the slide rod- I06 and holds the roller H0 against the concentric portion of the cam H9. At the same time, the bottom plates I00 and IBM are elevated by the arms I02 and N211 and raise the foremost few blanks. The blades 5, 5a are now unable to enter the triangular notches 28 and 29 in the upper edge of the foremost box I of the pile but slide along the outside of the wall Id of this box when descending, without entering and feeding the box. When the eccentric portion of the cam II9 strikes the roller I I8, the arm H5 is elevated against the action of the spring IIS, and the bottom plates I00, I000: are lowered. The lifted boxes are returned into their initial position by the angles I20, I201; of the blades. This alternating ascending and descending movement of the bottom plates I00, I00a with the boxes is repeated until the handle I08 is thrown over to the right in Fig. l whereupon the normal feed is reestablished.

While I have herein shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that -I do not confine myself to all the precise details herein set forth by way of illustration, as modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine of the type specified, comprising, in combination, a magazine for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes, a blade adapted to withdraw the foremost box from the magazine and to feed it in the longitudinal direction of the magazine, means arranged in the feeding path of the boxes and adapted to open the same, continuously driven conveyer means provided with receptacles for the reception of the opened boxes and arranged transversely relative to the feeding path of the boxes, means arranged intermediate said opening means and the conveyer means and adapted to hold the box open, said blade being operated to guide the withdrawn box past said opening means, and to deposit the opened box in the said intermediate holding means and simultaneously to transfer the box previously deposited in this holding means, by pressing against the rear wall of the box, into a receptacle of the said conveyer means.

2. A machine of the type specified, comprising, in combination, a magazine having two longitudinal side walls for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes stacked in the said magazine, a blade adapted to withdraw the foremost box from said magazine and to feed it in the longitudinal direction of the magazine, a longitudinal extension on one side wall of the magazine, a member arranged opposite to this extension at the inside of a longitudinal extension of the other side wall and provided with an inwardly projecting oblique surface, continuously driven conveyer means provided with receptacles for the reception of the opened boxes and. arranged transversely relative to the feeding path of the boxes, means arranged intermediate said opening means and the conveyer means and adapted to hold the box open, said blade being operated to guide the withdrawn box past said inwardly projecting oblique surface and the extension of the opposite side wall for opening the box, and to deposit the opened box in the said intermediate holding means and simultaneously to transfer the box previously deposited in this holding means, by pressing against the rear wall of the box, into a receptacle of the said conveyer means.

3. Machine of the type specified, comprising, in combination, a magazine having two longitudinal side walls for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes stacked in said magazine, a blade adapted to withdraw the foremost box from said magazine and to feed it in the longitudinal direction of the magazine, means for opening the box and formed by a longitudinal extension on one sidewall of the magazine and by a member provided with an inwardly projecting oblique surface arranged opposite to this extension at the inside of an extension of the other side wall, continu-v ously driven conveyer means provided with receptacles for the reception of the opened boxes and 1 behind the said inwardly projecting oblique surface and by a hook-like rest at the foremost end of the said longitudinal extension of the opposite side wall.

4. A machine of the type specified, comprising, in combination, a magazine having two longitudinal side walls for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes stacked in said magazine, a blade adapted to withdraw the foremost box from said magazine and to feed it in the longitudinal direction of the magazine, means for opening the box and formed by alongitudinal extension on one side wall of the magazine and by a member provided with an inwardly projecting oblique surface arranged opposite to this extension at the inside of an extension of the other side wall, continuously driven conveyer means provided with receptacles for the reception of the opened boxes and arranged transversely relative to the feeding path of the boxes, means for holding the box open arranged intermediate said opening means and the conveyer means and formed by a groove-like rest behind said inwardly projecting oblique surface and by a hook-like rest at the foremost end of the said longitudinal extension of the opposite side wall, said blade being operated to guide. the withdrawn box past said opening means, and to deposit the opened box in the said intermediate holding means and simultaneously to transfer the box previously deposited in this holding means, by pressing against the rear wall of the box, into a receptacle of the said conveyer means, movable means arranged and operated to push the longitudinal edge of the box away from the said hooklike rest for this transfer, and an oblique surface emerging from the said groove-like rest outwardly in the feeding direction approximately to the path of the conveyer means for guiding the box in its opened condition during the transfer.

5. A machine of the type specified, comprising, in combination, a magazine for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes, continuously driven conveyer means travelling in spaced relation past the foremost box of said pile, means adapted to open the collapsed boxes, means arranged intermediate said conveyer means and the said opening means and adapted to hold the opened box open, and means comprising a blade adapted to withdraw the foremost collapsed box from said magazine, to feed the box past the said opening means, and to deposit the opened box in the said intermediate holdingmeans, thereby transferring the previ- 'ously deposited box from this holding means into the said conveyer means by pressing against the rear wall of the box.

6. A machine of the type specified, comprising a magazine for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes, means arranged in continuation of the magazine and adapted to open the boxes, conveyer means for feeding theopened boxes, and a blade adapted to withdraw the foremost collapsed box from said magazine and to feed it in the longitudinal direction of the magazine past the said opening means to'the conveyer means, said blade being provided with a toothed member extending parallel to the upper side of the pile and adapted to engage, at the feeding stroke of the blades, frictionally the upper edgesof collapsed boxes forming the forward end of the pile. 1

'7. A machine of the type specified, comprising a magazine for'holding apile of collapsed folding boxes, means arranged in continuation of the magazine and adapted to open the boxes, conveyer means for feeding the opened boxes, means provided intermediate the conveyer means and the opening means and adapted to hold the box open, a blade and operating means adapted to insert the blade into the'foremost box of themagazine, to advance the blade in the longitudinal axis of the magazine for withdrawing the box and feeding it past the opening means to the intermediate holding means, to retract the blade from the box deposited in this holding means, and to return the blade to its initial position, and means adapted to retain the box in said holding means during the retraction of the blade.

8. A machine of the type specified, comprising a magazine for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes, means arranged in continuation of the magazine and adapted to open theboxes, conveyer means for feeding the opened boxes, means provided intermediate the conveyer means and the opening. means and adapted to hold the box open, a blade and operating means adapted to insert the blade into the foremost box of the magazine, to advance the blade in the longitudinal axis of the magazine for withdrawing the box and feeding it past the opening means to the intermediate holding means, to retract the blade from the box deposited in this holding means, and to return the blade to its initial position, and means adapted to retain the box in said holding means during the retraction of the blade, said retaining means consisting of a rail extending above the said intermediate holding means parallel to the feed path of the boxes and in continuation of the upper side of the pile.

9. A machine of the type specified, comprising a horizontal magazine for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes, means arranged in continuation of the magazine 'and adapted to open the boxes, conveyer means for feeding the opened boxes, a blade and operating means adapted to lower the blade into the foremost collapsed box of the magazine and to advance the blade in a horizontal direction for withdrawing the foremost box from the magazine and feeding the withdrawn box past the opening means to the conveyer means, and means to prevent the blade from withdrawing the foremost box, comprising a movable support under a number of collapsedboxes forming the forward end of the pile, automatic driving means adapted to lift and lower said support, said driving means bein normally inoperative, and manually actuated means for making said automatic driving means operative to lift the support prior to the lowering of the blade, the blade being provided with means to again lower, at each downward stroke of the blade, the boxes if lifted by the support.

10. A machine of the type specified, comprising a magazine for holding a pile of collapsed folding boxes, means arranged in continuation of the magazine and adapted to open the boxes, conveyer means arranged across the axis of the magazine for feeding the opened boxes, means provided intermediate the conveyer means and the opening means and adapted to hold the box temporarily in a stationary, open position, a blade and operating means adapted to insert the blade into the foremost box of the magazine, to advance the blade in the longitudinal axis of the magazine'for withdrawing the box and feeding it past the opening means to the intermediate holding means, to retract the blade from the box deposited in this holding means, and to return the blade to its initial position, and means adapted to retain the box in said holding means during the retraction of the blade by friction exerted by the resilient box.

HEINRICH sonwmona. 

